The story lady
by naybaybay
Summary: One shot - based on an idea I've had for a while involving a conversation about "kids" between Castle and Beckett.


**DISCLAIMER: With the way things are going this season, I wouldn't be surprised if one of the show writers also writes fanfiction about Caskett, but sadly, I am not she.**

**Hey, so this is just something cutesy that has been on my mind for a while now.**

**Hope y'all enjoy it!**

**Peace and love,**

**Renee.**

...

Castle and Beckett were investigating the murder of a young school teacher.

The teacher, Kylie Mosley had been observing as the children sat in a circle, treated to a special reading by a popular children's author.

Her killer, they had determined had come into the classroom, suffocated her with a chloroformed rag and stabbed her in the gut, all while the children's backs were turned.

But there was still the possibility that one of the children might have seen something, so the kids of room 7 were rounded up and accompanied in to the precinct.

While Ryan and Esposito were finding out more about Kylie Mosley, Castle and Beckett were left to question the children, who were all between the ages of six and seven.

"So, Christopher, did you see what happened to Miss Mosley?"

The six year old shook his head, and then asked them in a vehement tone, "Do you like the Green Lantern?"

This was how most of the interrogations went.

Ryan and Esposito came back with the news that Kylie Mosley was not who she appeared to be, exteriorly.

She had been involved with a man a few years back who had run with a bad crowd. The boys discovered that her ex-boyfriend, Mitchell Clark, had a restraining order put on him.

They brought him in for questioning and he copped to killing Kylie because of a job they'd once pulled together where Kylie had left him in his injured state, to take the blame.

Clark had been doing time for drug possession while Kylie was getting her teaching degree.

While Ryan and Esposito were handling the perp, Castle and Beckett were entertaining the children in the break room.

"What has a face and two hands but no arms or legs."

All the children began screaming out answers. Castle held his hands up. "Hey, hey, one at a time please."

The chidden went silent and raised their hands.

"Yes", Castle picked a small girl.

"A fish!"

Castle's brow furrowed and Beckett covered her face to hide her laughter.

"That's kinda almost true, but not what I was going for."

"A real scary monster, like a big angry clown with no arms!" Came the long-winded guess from one boy.

"Ooh, ooh!" One girl got excited.

"Yes?"

"Um… I don't know", she said shyly and Castle laughed to himself.

"Anyone else?"

"It could've been like one of those um… one of those people who don't have legs and arms but they have faces and bodies."

"You mean a thalidomide person?"

The boy gave him a wide-eyed look and frowned. "I dunno."

Castle smiled. "Alright, do you give up yet?"

Beckett rolled her eyes, he was more impatient than the kids.

"I'll give you a clue", he conceded. "If you want to know what time it is, you look at it."

"A clock!" Came an uneven chorus with the answer.

"You got it!" Castle clapped his hands together and the kids laughed.

"You're funny Mr. Castle", one of the little boys gleamed up at him and Castle grinned proudly back.

"And you are a very smart young man."

The woman from child services who was in charge of managing the kids from the school walked into the break room.

"Alright kids, we're all allowed to go now, so let's gather up all our things and go get your parents."

The kids bustled round excitedly and frantically, making sure they had everything.

"Oh, before you go, I just wanted to say thank you for being so patient with the police, and I wanted to give you all a gift.."

"Castle", Beckett interrupted him, a concerned look on her face. "We're not allowed to…"

"Come on, they're kids! And besides, I'm not a cop, so I'm not breaking any rules of police conduct."

He turned back to the group of children and continued. "I understand you guys like story books, yeah?"

There was a simultaneous and boisterous reply of affirmation.

"Well, I've sent an order to the publishing company I work for, for all the books for people your age that they have in their list, so you should be getting about fifty brand new books. "

"Oh wow, kids, say thank you to Mr. Castle."

"Thank you Mr. Castle!" Came a jovial response. Castle smiled warmly down at them all. "Keep being awesome kids… Stay in school."

"These kids need a teacher now, you sure you don't want to apply?" The woman from child services winked at Castle.

"As enticing as that sounds, I think I'm needed here", he turned toward Beckett who nodded. "Yeah well, you're kinda useful sometimes."

Castle gasped in mock offense and the social worker laughed, moving out of the room with the kids.

"Well that was an interesting case."

"Really? A standard revenge killing? I would have thought you would have found it quite boring."

"Oh, well the actual murder was pretty cliched and certainly not story worthy, but the kids… they were fun. I liked hanging out with them."

"Yeah well, it was a nice break from cracking criminals", Beckett nodded. "But I still don't understand how none of the kids in that classroom witnessed Clark enter the room and kill their teacher."

"I do."

Beckett looked up at him with interest.

"Spiritually, those kids weren't even in the room. They were miles, maybe even light years away, in the middle of some far off galaxy or in a field, staving off a fearsome dragon, or maybe just sitting on a beach, or flying an airplane… As adults, we forget how possible it is to lose ourselves in a story. To completely immerse ourselves in a fantasy world, to truly believe that we're there. But kids do it all the time. It's one of the most tragic losses that anyone can experience. Losing that ability to imagine."

"You think this will be the thing that makes them lose it?"

Castle shrugged. "I hope not. I want to think that they're too young to even realize what they've seen. But I do know that in a few years time, when they've all got a bit more awareness, they'll be affected, maybe even a little shattered."

"They don't deserve that", Beckett responded, a cloud shadowing her features.

Castle sighed. "I'm gonna go, I have the overwhelming need to hug Alexis."

"Kay, I'll see you later", Beckett acknowledged him with a smile.

Castle picked up his coat from the back of his chair and looked over at his partner with a thoughtful expression.

"I gotta say, I'm gonna miss those little tykes."

Beckett's eyes traced his face for a moment, blinking quickly in surprise, though it shouldn't have been much of a surprise at all after the way he'd been doting on the children over the last couple of days.

"Well don't worry Castle, the Ryans' baby is due any day, I'm sure he'll be hanging out here all the time."

"It'll be years before he's old enough to even talk to. That's too far away… Maybe I should adopt. You know, ready-made kid, one with personality and attitude", Castle chuckled to himself.

"Oh I don't think you need resort to adoption", Beckett said, trying to sound off-handed, but quite certain she had failed.

"Why, do you want kids?"

Beckett inhaled sharply, trying to cover it up by flicking her hair out of her eyes. "Well, I mean, not right away, but you know…eventually, one day, yeah."

The room seemed to go silent, all Castle could hear was the blood running through his veins and the thump of his heart.

She met Castle's eyes and he swallowed, speaking soberly but entranced.

"Do you want kids…with me?"

Beckett eyes lit up with reverence and she spoke to her partner with a somber sincerity. "I don't want them with anyone else."

Before Beckett knew it, Castle was making his way hastily toward her. He took her face in his hands and kissed her hard on the lips.

"Castle, we're at work", she scolded him breathlessly when he released her.

He gave her a sheepish grin, not looking at all sorry.

Beckett's disgruntled look changed quickly, like the sun dawning over the land, she gazed at him with an eminent love pouring from her smile.

"What?" Castle smiled back at her suspiciously.

Beckett bit her lip. "I hope they all have your eyes."

Castle felt his heart literally swell. He cleared his throat. "Beckett… We're at the precinct. Don't make me all emotional in front of the guys."

The pair shared a grin, wordlessly expressing their love for one another before Castle turned to leave.

It wasn't until he was half way to the elevator that he spun back on his heel to face her, his eyes wide and stunned.

"All?"


End file.
